Reports from Pakistan say Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political party has gained strength in Senate elections as the second largest party in the upper chamber of the National Assembly and now has just one seat less than the opposition.

Pakistan’s Geo-TV reported early on March 7 after victory notifications were sent to most winning candidates that Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz had won 26 seats.

Unofficial results from the March 5 secret ballot by Pakistan’s provincial legislatures showed the opposition Pakistan People’s Party retaining the largest bloc in the Senate with 27 seats.

If confirmed, those results would represent a loss of 13 seats for the opposition in the 104-seat Senate.

Senate election victory notifications for two of Sharif’s party members from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province are being withheld until a ruling by Pakistan’s Supreme Court on allegations of electoral fraud.

There also were no results from Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Agencies (FATA) due to the postponement of polling there over a dispute about technical details of the voting process.

Sharif's party controls a majority in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.